Feed-gage for printing-presses.



PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

E. L. MEGILL.

FEED GAGE FOR PRINTING PRES SES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13,1904.

2 SHEETS--SHBET 1.

IJ'HUCHITOZT QXM l m use a No. 793,456. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

E. L. MBGILL.

FEED GAGE FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLIGATIONIILED JULY 13.1904.

2 SHEETS1-SHEET 2.

O6 c u 15c (3 "-6 C 2 'NITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT Orricn.

FEED-GAGE FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,456, dated June 27,1905.

Application filed July 13. 1904- Serial No. 216,369-

Z'o roll whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. MEGILL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and city and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Gages for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of feedguides and gage devices forthe proper placing of a sheet on the platen of the press to receive animpression, and particularly to that class of such gage devices whereinthe gripper of the press acts to move the sliding gage of the device upto the gage-line on the platen.

The invention embodies improvements in the gage device illustrated anddescribed in my United States Patent No. 712,198, dated October 28,1902. In agage device of this class there is a base-plate secured on theplaten, a sliding gage mounted in guides, a spring for retracting saidsliding gage, and means adapted to be impinged upon by the gripper ofthe press when the platen moves up to the form for moving the slidinggage up to the gage line. In the present gage device the baseplate hasspurs to engage slits in the tympansheet and is capable of adjustmentover said sheet, a clamping-plate secured to the baseplate by screws forclamping the device to the tympan-sheet when set, a sliding gage mountedin guides on the base, a hinged toggle device with a coil spring at itsknuckle for moving the sliding gage to and fro, and means engaged by thegripper for depressing the toggle and shifting the sliding gage.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustratc an embodimentof theinvention, Figure 1 is a plan view of the gage device as it appears whenflattened by the gripper, the position of the latter being indicated indotted lines. Fig.

2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, but with the upper gage-operating partsomitted. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at m in Fig. 1, but showing the gageretracted. Fig. 45 is a front sectional View of the device, the plane ofthe section being substantially at line a? in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a planview of the base-plate detached from the remainder of the device andshown as mounted in slits in the tympan-sheet. Fig. 6

is a view on a small scale, showing one of the gage devices mounted onthe platen of a press. Fig. 7 is an under side view of the gage devicedetached. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the clamping-plate of the basedetached. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the gage device. Fig. 10 is anillustrative sectional view showing how the tympan-sheet is clampedbetween the members of the base. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view showing acompressible form of the gagehead. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectionalview showing a clamping nut and screw.

In Fig. 6, WV designates the platen of a printing-press, X one of thegrippers thereof, and Y the tympan-sheet stretched over the platen inthe usual way and by the usual means. All of these parts are common inplaten printing-presses. On the platen is shown a sheet S in position toreceive the impression, the positioning of the sheet on the platen beingeffected by bottom guides or gages w of any kind and a side guide, as Ain this figure, which is a gage device constructed according to thepresent invent-ion. This gage device will now be specifically describedwith reference to the figures of the drawings, which are on a largerscale.

B designates a base-plate, which may be of thin metal of asomewhat Ushapethat is to say, the base portion has preferably two branches 6 andI), which project at right angles therefrom, as seen in Fig. 5. On theinner edge of the branch 6 are two spurs b and 7) and on the outer edgeof the branch 6 are two spurs b and b All of these spurs project in thesame direction and are designed to pass through slits y, Fig. 5, in thetympansheet Y and take under the latter. Preferably the prong will bethe longest, the prong b the shortest, and the spurs 7) and If ofintermediate length. In the base-plate are set two upright screws 1).

Cis a clamping-plate, (seen detached in Fig. 8.) This plate has in ittwo holes 0, which register with the screws 5, and when the baseplate isplaced in position on the tympan-sheet and adjusted, as in Fig. 5, andthe clampingplate is placed in position, with the screws protruding upthrough the holes, nuts are screwed down on the screws and serve toclamp the tympan-sheet between the" plate C and those spurs of thebase-plate (b and Z2) which are under the clamping-plate. hold the gagedevice to the tympan-sheet firmly in the place set by adjustment alongthe slits y. It may be stated here that in placing the base-plate itwill be convenient to introduce the longest spur first, then the spursof intermediate length, and, lastly, the shortest one.

On the clamping-plate (J are keeper-guides c to receive the stem of the.sliding gage D and hinging-lugs 0 in which is hinged the rear plate E ofthe toggle on a hinge-rod 0 This plate E is provided with an arm a,projecting upward normally at an angle into the path of one of thegrippers X, and is hinged at its front edge on a rod 0' to the fronttoggle-plate E. This latter plate has at its front edge a spur e, whichengages a stirrup d, struck up from the sliding gage D. At the hingewhere the two toggle-plates are connected there is a coil-spring 6 whichtends to return the toggle to the elevated position seen in Figs. 3 and9 after it has been flattened, as in Fig. 1, and the pressure isremoved. Thus the depressing of the toggle moves out the sliding gage,and when the pressure is removed the spring a retracts the gage to a limiting-stop. As herein shown, this stop is a heel e on the plate E backof the hinge, which comes to a bearing on the outer or rear edge of theplate C. This latter may be slightly turned up, as seen in Fig. 12.

The sliding gage D has a gage-head d of any kind, and the T portion dthereof has at one end (Z a sliding bearing on ,the branch 6 of thebase-plate, and at the other end a tongue (2, which takes under anelevatcd"keeper b on the branch 6 of said plate. This latter preventsthe gage from lifting up, but permits it to slide freely to and fro tothe proper extent.

On the back of the toggle-plate E, in suitable keepers f, may be mounteda bar F, similar to that described in my said Patent N 0. 712,198, andprovided with an arm F, which projects into the path of the gripper toper.- form the function fully explained in said patent. This bar formsno essential part of the present invention.

Where a gage-head, as d, is employed obviously the gripper must be setso as not to impinge upon it; but a thin spring gage-head, like thatshown in my previous patent, which curves upward by its own resiliency,may be employed, and such a head is shown at (Z in Fig. 11. A head ofthis kind may come under the gripper and will be flattened down thereby.

The operation and function of the sliding gage will be the same as fullyset forth in my former patentand need not be explained here.

It will be noted that the peculiar U-shaped form of the base-plate B hasthe following This serves to important advantagesnamely, the branches.7) and I) extend out and provide a support near the gage-line, giving abroad base for the gage. They extend beyond the normal posi tion of thegage-head, and the spurs b and b by extending under the tympan-sheetprevent the sheet being placed from getting under the head of the gage.The beveling back of the ends of the branches 6 and b, as seen in Figs.1, 3, and 5, also assists in preventing the sheet from getting under thebase-plate. The four spurs hold the carriers of the plate down firmly.This invention is not, however, limited to the branches 6 and b on thebaseplate, as good results may be had without them; but the form of baseshown is preferred.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A registering-gage,having a base-plate provided with flat spurs at its respective ends andprojecting laterally in the same direction, two upright screws on saidplate, one at each end near the said spurs, a clamping-plate with holesto receive said screws, and nuts on the said screws, the said spursbeing adapted to engage the tympan under the clamping-plate.

2. An automatic registering-gage, having a base and means for secu ringit to the platen, a sliding gage, a toggle device for moving said gageup to the gage-line, said toggle device comprising two plates hingedrespectively to the base and the gage, and hinged together at theknuckle, and a spiral torsionspring at the knuckle for retracting thegage.

3. An automatic registering gage device, having a base-plate, withbranches provided with spurs b 6 b and b at their respective edges, andwith screws 6 and'nuts F, a clamping-plate O, with holes to engage saidscrews, keeper-guides c,for the gage, and hinginglugs 0 the gageD,slidable in the guides 0 and having a stirrup d, a gage-head, andtongues d3 and d, the former slidable on the baseplate and the latterslidable in a keeper 7) thereon, and the toggle device for operating thesliding gage, said device comprising the plates E and E, hinged togetherat the knuckle and provided thereat with a coil-spring 0 the plate Ebeing hinged to the lugs 0 and provided with an arm to be depressed by agripper on the press, and the plate E, having a hinging-prong engagingthe stirrup (Z on the sliding gage.

4. An automatic registering gage device, having a base-plate withlateral spurs adjustable in slits in the tympan-sheet, means forclamping said plate to the tympan-sheet, a sliding gage having alaterally-projecting tongue at its head, and means for moving said gagewhen the impression is made, the base-plate being provided with anelevated keeper elongated in a direction parallel to the path of thegage-head and under which said tongue plays when the gage moves.

5. A gage device, having a base-plate,means for securing said plate tothe tympan-sheet, and a movable gage, said base-plate being providedwith branches Which extend forward over the tympan-sheet and areprovided at their respective outer ends With laterally-projecting partsto engage slits in the tympansheet.

6. An automatic registering gage device, having a base portion and meansfor securing same to the platen, a sliding gage, and a toggle device formoving the gage up to the gageline, said toggle device being composed oftWo parts hinged together at the knuckle and one part hinged to the baseand the other to said gage, the three hinge-axes being parallel, and aspring connected With the toggle for contracting the same.

7. A registering gage device, having a base, means for securing same tothe platen, a sliding gage on the base, and a toggle for operating thegage, said toggle having its three hinge-axes parallel and having itstWo parts connected by a spring for contracting the toggle.

8. A registering gage device, having a base,

means for securing same to the platen, a sliding gage on the base, and atoggle for operating the gage, said toggle having its three hingeaXesparallel, and a torsion-spring Which retracts the gage.

9. A registering gage device, having an attaching-base, and a slidinggage thereon provided With a laterally-projecting tongue near its head,the base-plate having an arm Which projects out over the tympan-sheetand is provided With an elongated elevated keeper which takes over saidtongue and prevents the gagehead from rising.

10. A gage device, having a base-plate provided Withlaterally-projecting flat spurs at its respective sides, said spursprojecting in the same direction and at an angle to the face of thegage, and being of different lengths.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 8th day of July,1904, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD L. MEGILL.

Vitnesses:

HENRY CoNNE'rT, WILLIAM J. FIRTH.

